Reviews of La Caravella di Positano - Relais & Beach

TL:DR: Book at your own risk as you may have to stay at a completely different hotel 1km away inland and up hill. Read the low score reviews. This hotel is part of a clever business model based on dishonest behaviour by the management (manager?). We chose La Caravella for its location and paid months in advance (non-refundable) as we only had one night in Positano. On arrival at La Caravella, there's no reception. We called the number on trip.com and were promptly told that we had no room as the "bathroom broken". There's no other rooms available (of course not because it's been double booked) but worry not, we have a room in their partner hotel Palazzo Marzoli Resort, 950m up the hillside on the other end of town. So we have our luggage portered there and walk up 5 mins to another hotel as a pick up point to go to this less expensive hotel we didn't book nor wanted to be in. On arrival, the manager (Mario) straight away starts with the pressure tactics. Trying to get us to check-in to this room we have no idea about. Now the hotel is pretty decent and the room is nice, so are all the staff. But we didn't book this nor did we pay for this circus act. The manager insisted "it's no problem you stay here", we'll shuttle you back and forth. You get breakfast included etc. etc. But thing is if we wanted to stay in this hotel we'd have just booked it (for 2/3rds or the price). Not to be misled and forced into it because the hotel we originally booked and paid for was double booked and our vulnerability exploited in the moment as we had limited time and options. After hours of back and forth with trip.com we finally managed to get some compensation however the only winner here is Mario the manager. It's simple really, completely book out La Caravella and then continue double booking it at the exorbitant prices while transferring these extra guests to the other "4 star" hotel at a marked up price. Non-negotiable. Non-refundable. Or "impossibile" as he puts it. Even as he agreed to porter our luggage back to port on our departure, he left us with the bill on collection. Terrible human being and terrible hotel/service. Strongly advise you consider somewhere else.

The room was clean and kitschy, with a nice, large outdoor covered patio with a great view of the beach. No elevator so luggage was tough going up to the top floor, but our host Rosa was friendly and welcoming.

Pros: - Beach front location although you don’t get a beach front view or porch unless you book their villas. - Very near the port and near all the beach front restaurants and activities. - They give you fresh towels and take out the trash every day. - Very nice staff. Cons: - We had to pay cash. Their terminal wasn’t working properly. We tried four cards in total which all worked fine everywhere else. So we had to find an ATM and withdraw money. - The toilet stinks. For some reason even after cleaning and even after turning the exhaust on, the stink doesn’t go away. - Poor drainage - water and dirt get stuck both in the shower and sink.

Location is the hotel's biggest advantage; it's right by the sea, next to a church, no need to climb mountains, and within 300 meters there are restaurants, bars, and shops everywhere. The elderly lady who greeted us spoke Italian and seemed a bit fierce, but she was actually very kind. When I checked out, she even proactively asked if I wanted her luggage and arranged for a young man to help me carry it to my room free of charge. It was truly a thoughtful gesture.

The location is good, you are right on the beach, but the staff who look after this property are very unfriendly. When we asked if we could leave our suitcases there for 2 hours longer and sunbathe outside, they refused. We had to leave the hotel at 12:00 and take our suitcases with us, which was very unaccommodating even though we offered to pay for it. The furnishings in the hotel are very old and the pillows are rock hard, as if there were only blankets in them. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone.